A Marriage of (In)convenience
by Hidden Treasures
Summary: Tensions at the borders of the lands of Gallifrey and Powell had been mounting for years. Desperate for a solution, the King and Queen of Gallifrey and the Duke and Duchess of Powell have struck a deal that they believe will restore peace to the countries. However, this deal involves the betrothal of their two unwilling children. Ten x Rose Arranged Marriage AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Betrothed?" James spluttered, glancing incredulously between his parents. "What do you mean, betrothed?"

"Oh, come now, James," his father chastised. "Don't play dumb with us."

James gritted his teeth; he really should have known this day was coming, ever since little skirmishes had been breaking out along the border of their lands. Their little kingdom of Gallifrey shared a border with the duchy of Powell. For centuries, the two lands had gotten along peacefully, mostly due to the fact that in those days, there had been no settlements that stretched anywhere near the borders.

But as time passed and their countries grew, more land was needed for homes and businesses, until one day the people of Gallifrey and the people of Powell met in the middle. A battle broke out along the border, for each side tried to claim ownership of the previously unexplored territory.

For years, as each side was locked in many bloody battles for rights to the land, officials from both sides of the kingdom met and tried to interpret the territory maps of old that would lay the fighting to rest. However, neither side could come to an agreement; the territory lines were not as well defined as they had hoped, and thus the fighting raged on.

Officials from both sides of the border waited with bated breath day in and day out, awaiting news that the other side would begin waging war to encroach upon the other's territory. Battles were won and lost and the transient border shifted with every passing day.

A marketplace was what currently spanned the border, and most of the vendors and merchants in the market cared not one way or another where the border fell, as long as they still had customers to do business with. It was the radical and prideful locals who lived around the borderland marketplace that took issue with "the other side" encroaching on land that they deemed belonged to their own country.

Guards from both sides were placed in the marketplace, and while it helped, it did not solve the problem. It was a short-term solution until a more permanent resolution could be had.

Despite the mutual pleas for peace coming from both Gallifrey and Powell, the animosity between the border dwelling citizens was rooted too deeply.

James had grown up listening to these tales, and he dreaded the day when he would inherit the problems his parents presently dealt with. But one day, several months ago, his parents had returned from their visit with Pete and Jackie Tyler—the Duke and Duchess of Powell—looking rather pleased and excited. They'd told him nothing except that plans were in the works that would hopefully end any and all feuds between the citizens of their lands.

He paid no mind to the plans being made, for he assumed that his parents and the Duke and Duchess of Powell would have it all figured out by the time he came to power. Little did he know that their plans directly involved him, which brought him back to the news they had just bestowed upon him.

"But I can't get married!" he said, scraping his fingers through his hair.

"Why ever not?" his mother asked, frowning. "You're certainly of age. You're twenty-four—the same age your father was when we were married."

James barely managed to contain his eyeroll; his parents seemed to enjoy bringing up his relationship status—or lack thereof—these last few years as he resolutely remained a bachelor.

"Because!" he exclaimed, floundering for a more concrete refusal. "Just… because. I've never even met this girl, and now you want me to marry her?"

"I assure you, she's a rather pretty girl," his father said. "She does take after the Duchess of Powell a bit much for my liking—very fierce and tenacious. But I hope that strength will give her the ability to handle the strain of looking after land as vast as ours will become."

"Exactly! Our land will be far too big for our rule," James pointed out. "How will we ever keep track of the goings-on on the outskirts of the kingdom?"

"We were hoping that representatives of both countries would remain on duty, loyal to the combined kingdom the lands would become," his father answered. "Nothing would change, James, except that two lands would be one."

"And what do the townsfolk have to say about this?" James demanded. "The Powell people aren't going to want to change loyalties to a Gallifreyan ruler. And the Gallifrey people aren't going to want to change loyalties to a Powellan ruler."

"That's where your betrothal comes in," his father answered patiently. "There is no denying that our kingdom loves you, James. And from what we have gathered on our journeys to Powell, their citizens adore the young Lady Tyler. We are hoping that fondness will follow the two of you into marriage, and thus into the days when the power shifts to you."

"And if it doesn't?" James asked, scowling. "That is a lot of speculation and wishing. Oh, but of course _you_ don't care, because _you_ aren't the one about to be married to a perfect stranger!"

"James, that is enough," his father snapped, standing. "This may be the best chance we have at a peaceful union of our two lands. We and the Duke and Duchess of Powell are quickly losing what little control we had of the citizens along the border. There have been riots and fighting and _killing_ just for scraps of land! How much longer until that spreads its way into the heart of our kingdom? I will not sacrifice the safety and wellbeing of our people just because you're being selfish."

"Oh, _I'm_ being selfish?" James roared.

"Yes, you are! Do you think I want this for you, James? But when I took my oath in front of this kingdom, I swore to protect them and serve them, no matter the cost. This is happening, James, whether you want it to or not."

James ground his teeth together. This couldn't be the only path to peace.

"When is this betrothal to take place?" he asked stiffly, clenching his hands into fists.

"When the young Lady Tyler comes of age at the end of April," his father answered. "That gives you just over three months to get used to the idea. I can introduce you to Lady Tyler if you'd like."

"No, thanks," James growled. "May I be excused, Your Majesty?"

His father blinked. James never used his formal title unless they were in public.

"Yes, you may," his father said softly.

James leveled his parents with another glare before turning on his heel and stalking out of the study. He ignored the odd looks he was getting from the palace staff as he passed them, and he didn't respond to the numerous calls of his name.

"Hello, Prince James."

James grunted in greeting at the stable manager.

"What can I do for you?"

"Nothing," James said shortly, stalking up to his horse. "I'm going out."

"May I ask where?"

"Just out." He grabbed his riding gear and readied his mare. "Should the King and Queen ask, tell them I'll be back in time for dinner."

With that, James mounted his horse and rode off into the blazing late morning sun.

He was _not_ going to be married to Lady Tyler, no matter what his parents said, and he had three months to figure out an alternative plan to placate the people.

oOoOo

"Betrothed?" Rose spluttered, glancing incredulously between her parents. "What do you mean, betrothed?"

"It means to be married—"

"I know what it means, Mum," Rose hissed, glaring at her mother.

Really, she should have known this day was coming. The tension between their duchy and the neighboring kingdom had been growing for years. She should have realized a plot was brewing when, several months ago, her parents and the King and Queen of Gallifrey kept meeting in secret. After their final private council, her mother and father returned much more at ease than she could ever remember seeing them. However, she had comforted herself that they all had figured out a solution, and she would not be inheriting the mess the duchy was currently in.

Never once, in all of her musings of the possible solution her parents and the King and Queen of Gallifrey had come to, did she imagine this.

"The Crown Prince of Gallifrey is a great match," her father said soothingly, apparently sensing her rising temper.

"So!" Rose yelled. "I'm seventeen. I don't want to be married, especially to a bloke I've never met!"

"We can arrange a meeting," Jackie said matter-of-factly.

"I don't want to bloody meet him," Rose grumbled under her breath. "I'm not bloody marrying him."

"Oi, language," Jackie reprimanded sharply. "You are a Lady, and shall speak as such."

"Oh, because you use the cleanest language in all of Powell," Rose retorted, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

"Stop being so selfish, Rose," Jackie snapped.

"Selfish?! Excuse me, but I'm the one whose future and freedom is being given away here without my permission or consent! Is that really the only solution to this problem? To sell away your own daughter."

"We're not selling you away," Pete said gently, lifting his hands in a placating gesture.

"Bloody well looks like it," Rose spat scathingly. "You couldn't think of a proper solution to stop the fighting so you're putting it on my shoulders. Excellent leadership, Your Grace. Really great."

"Do not speak to your father like that!" Jackie snarled.

A tense minute passed with both blonde women glaring at each other, before Jackie let out a huff and crossed her arms.

"Well, this is happening," she said with a note of finality in her tone. "Right after you come of age. That leaves you three months to smarten your attitude."

Rose glared at her mother and curtsied stiffly before turning on her heel and storming out of their manor.

She was fuming that her parents had the audacity to use her as they were planning. Using her and the unfortunate Prince of Gallifrey to get out of the mess their two lands were in. It was a coward's way out.

Still, the proposed marriage wasn't happening for another three months. Hopefully the state of the duchy and the neighboring kingdom would have calmed by then and her parents and the King and Queen of Gallifrey wouldn't be as desperate for a solution. Hopefully, in that time, Rose could convince them of a different way to deal with the problems they were facing.

Because she refused to be married to the Prince of Gallifrey. She'd heard stories about him, about his arrogance and egotism. She didn't want to marry a man like that. And she didn't want to force the people of the duchy to be loyal to the Gallifreyan family, as their betrothal would do.

Convinced that this entire plan would backfire, Rose hoped she could convince her parents of this, and that a new solution could be met. If she could just postpone the wedding, she would finally be of age and be permitted to learn every single detail of the state of the duchy, and not just the tidbits she'd gleaned from the local gossip and listening in on her parents' hushed conversations.

She had to make them see reason. She had to make them see that they were headed towards the downfall of what fragile peace existed on the borderlands. Surely once they understood what was at stake, they would call off this ridiculous plan and they could all come to a less radical solution.

Rose barely was watching where she was going, but her feet had somehow led her to the stables. It was deserted, save for the local boy who enjoyed coming in to look at the horses.

"Good morning, my Lady Rose," the boy stuttered upon seeing her.

"Good morning, Jacob," Rose replied, trying to keep her frustration out of her voice. She didn't need to take her anger out on the small child. "I'm about to take my horse out for a ride. Care to help me ready her?"

The boy's eyes lit up in excitement, and he ran up to her and followed her as she opened the stable door containing her mare. Overseeing all of Jacob's actions, she allowed him to coax the horse out of her pen and he gathered all of Rose's riding gear for her.

"It's a good day for a ride, my Lady," Jacob said, glancing beyond the stable doors and at the noontime sun.

"It is indeed," she replied, mounting her horse. "Should the Duke and Duchess ask for me, tell them I've gone for a quick ride?"

"Of course, my Lady."

Jacob bent into a deep bow, and Rose tossed him a grin as she squeezed her knees around her mare. She trotted out of the stables and into the nearby woods, where Rose took a well-worn path and let the crisp winter air clear her lungs and her mind, and she left all thoughts of princes and betrothals behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Neither James or Rose had been able to stay out for long on their respective rides. The bitterness of the mid-winter afternoon was too much for them. When they'd stormed out of their homes, they hadn't consciously intended to go for a ride, and as such, they hadn't been dressed for the outdoors.

And so they had warily set back to their homes and avoided their parents. James had locked himself in the library, and Rose had locked herself in the room adjoining her bedroom that acted as an art studio.

The atmospheres within the Gallifrey palace and the Powell manor were tense for the next several days. James and Rose both avoided their parents, and their parents allowed them their own space to process the coming events.

They both continued to make their displeasure known, much to the irritation of the King and Queen, and the Duke and Duchess. More than once, Rose and James had both been reminded of their selfishness, and told that they should be ashamed that they were putting themselves above the needs of the duchy and kingdom.

After a few days of sulking, James and Rose conceded that they couldn't think of an alternative to their predicament if they stayed locked in their rooms. So James began attending the council meetings that he had been always invited to since his eighteenth birthday. He had never attended, figuring that there was no need until the time came when he would soon transition into King. But now, he attended them with rapt attention, which pleased his parents, who thought he had finally given into the idea that he would soon be married and assume role of King.

James was glad to let his parents believe that; they would be furious if they knew he only attended to gather ideas on how to call off the marriage between himself and Lady Tyler.

Rose, however, was barred from the meetings her parents attended.

"But how am I supposed to lead the duchy if I don't even know the bloody problems?" Rose snapped after she'd been caught eavesdropping on the latest report from the troops stationed at the borderlands.

"Rose, the union of our duchy and the Gallifreyan kingdom isn't going to happen the night of your eighteenth birthday," her father said gently. "Nor is your wedding. You will meet the prince on that night, and then the wedding preparations will begin. And even once you are married, the transition of power will take some time."

Rose huffed angrily before she stalked away to hopefully glean gossip from the kitchen staff.

That was how the next couple weeks passed; James carefully attended each meeting with his parents, and Rose found new places to eavesdrop to gather information on the state of the duchy.

After listening to another progress report on the tensions in the borderlands, James decided it was finally time for him to see the borderlands for himself. Though he knew they didn't mean it, the soldiers stationed at the borderlands had an implicit bias towards Gallifreyan citizens. James wanted an unobstructed view.

One Saturday morning, he donned his plainest coat and removed the saddle and reins bearing the Gallifreyan royal family emblem from his horse before he set off to the east. The mid-morning sun glared in his eyes and the late winter air stung his cheeks and burned in his lungs as he rode with a map of the kingdom in hand.

He hardly needed it, though. He knew the towns he needed to pass through in order to get to the borderlands, and in those towns, there were plenty of signs directing him onward.

About an hour after he set out, James clambered off his horse, stiff from the cold and the ride.

He tied up his horse along one of the posts on the western edge of the marketplace before strolling amongst the stalls. It looked very much like the market that surrounded the castle, only the air didn't seem as friendly here.

Also, the people here on the borderlands didn't recognize him by sight, so he wasn't followed along sycophantically by servants and vendors ready to cater to his every whim. James appreciated the freedom and anonymity, and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat and began meandering through the stalls. He made a point to visit all of the stalls, not just the ones that bore the emblem of Gallifrey, and as such, his moneybag was considerably lighter as the day wore on.

It was late in the afternoon when he arrived at a stand that sold food, and only then did he realize how hungry he was.

There was no line at the stall, and James soon realized why: it appeared an argument had broken out between the vendor and a customer.

"What does it matter if I live in Powell or Gallifrey?" the customer—a woman, James realized with a start—asked hotly.

"Different prices for different citizens," the vendor grunted, jabbing a fat finger to the sign beside him. James glanced at the sign and saw the prices for Gallifreyan customers was nearly double that of Powellan. He had noticed similar behavior at a few other stalls as well.

"That's stupid!" the customer snapped. "If that's your attitude, I'll buy my lunch elsewhere!"

The vendor looked taken aback, as though no other customer had ever refused to purchase from him for his discriminatory pricing.

James rather liked the attitude of the woman who was currently stalking away from the stall, and he flashed a cheeky grin at the vendor and said, "Well, seeing as there's another stall selling the same sort of food for a lower price, I think I, too, will seek out a different vendor. Good day, sir."

He turned on his heel and hurriedly followed the woman.

"Hey, wait up! Excuse me!"

The woman stopped and turned around to face him. She was much younger than he was expecting; she barely looked of age. Her clothes were clean and well-kept, and her face was extremely pretty, although not conventionally so. Her mouth was a bit too wide for her face, and her eyebrows seemed too dark for fair hair she had tucked beneath her hood. But James was captivated by the softness of her features, and her lovely hazel eyes, which looked expectant.

Oh, right…

"That was bloody brilliant, at that stall," James blurted out, and the woman bit her lip on a smile.

"Thanks," she said. "My parents would be mortified if they knew what I'd just done. Especially to someone from our own country."

"Oh, so you're from Powell!" James furrowed his brow. "Why'd you give that vendor such a hard time, then? His unfair pricing wasn't affecting you."

"That's the problem with people," the woman gritted out. "Just because something doesn't affect you, you think it's not your problem to deal with! We wouldn't be in this mess if people like him could just be fair and kind to everyone who wants to buy from him, not just people from his own country!"

James grinned, enjoying her fiery attitude.

"And what mess would that be?" he asked innocently, and the girl's cheeks tinged pink.

"Oh, you know…" She waved her hands vaguely at the marketplace. "Tensions at the borderlands. Surely you've heard the gossip from wherever it is you're from."

"Gallifrey," he said promptly. "So I guess that makes us rivals, eh?"

The woman seemed less than impressed.

"Don't tell me you're one of the idiots that helps fuel this ridiculous feud," she said flatly. "Just think of the prosperity we could all enjoy if citizens from both countries could work together, instead of engaging in this drawn-out dispute that makes absolutely no sense!"

"Oh, no," he said quickly. "Just wanted to see what you'd say. You feel very passionately about this subject. Ever thought of going into public service?"

An odd expression crossed the girl's face, a mixture of humor and annoyance, and she drawled, "A time or two."

"I'm sure the Duke and Duchess would be thrilled to appoint someone with such a zeal for justice and equality."

"I…" The woman broke off and chewed on her bottom lip, before a slow smirk crossed her face. "Yes. I believe the Duke and Duchess are considering me for a very unique position."

James nodded. "Well, they should. You obviously have the heart for it, Miss… er, sorry, I never got your name."

"Rose," she said, giving him a soft smile. "Just Rose. And you are?"

"Just James," he said with a wink. He then held out his hand to shake. "Pleased to meet you."

Her bare hand wrapped around his. It was soft and smooth, clearly not a laborer's hands, but they were very chilly.

"Er, if it's not too presumptive of me," James said, dropping his hands to his pockets, "would you care to get a late lunch with me? I thought I saw a stall a little way away that's selling hot cider and other food."

Rose seemed to consider him for a moment, but she slowly nodded.

"Brilliant!" he crowed, holding out his arm for her to escort her through the marketplace.

She slipped her arm through his, and James tried very hard not to think of the fact that another woman would be holding his arm like that in just three short months.

They found another food vendor rather quickly, and they both ordered hot cider and roasted chicken wrapped in a hearty, flat bread.

James dug into his pocket for money, and when he saw Rose rifling through her pockets, he said, "Oh, no. Allow me."

"No, it's all right," she said, handing the proper number of coins to the vendor.

James frowned, but nodded and paid for his own meal.

"You could've let me pay," James grumbled, leading her to a small array of wooden tables and benches to eat their lunch. He had plenty of money to spare.

"I can pay for myself, James," Rose replied curtly, taking a swig of cider.

"Quite right," he said, cupping his hands around his cider.

They ate in silence for several minutes, before they started talking about anything they could think of. The only thing neither of them touched upon was their livelihoods, and James was glad he wouldn't have to invent some tale and lie to Rose about being the Prince of Gallifrey.

They stayed at that little table for hours, barely noticing the passing of time until the late afternoon sun kissed the top of the tree line.

"Blimey, I didn't even notice the time," James murmured, glancing around at the marketplace, which had become less busy since the noontime rush. "There are so many stalls I've not seen yet. Would-would you care to join me around the marketplace?"

Rose's face pinched into an expression he couldn't read, before she carefully said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Rejection and embarrassment swelled through him, and he dropped his gaze to his empty cup. "Right. Yes. Of course."

A small hand reached out and touched his own.

"It's not that. I just… I really ought to be heading home soon," Rose said. "It's an hour's ride back to where I live."

Relief sparked through James, and he offered her a shy smile.

"Some other time, then?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too eager.

"Okay," Rose said. "Next weekend?"

James tried not to let his disappointment show that he would have to wait a week to see her again. He nodded, and stood to take their goblets back to the vendor.

"May I at least walk you to your carriage?" he asked.

"My horse," Rose corrected.

"Oh, you ride?" he asked excitedly.

"Since I was a small girl," she replied, hooking her arm through his once more as they departed for the eastern edge of the market. "From your enthusiasm, I take it that you ride?"

"Oh, yes," he said. "Whenever I have a free moment to spare. It's peaceful, being on my own with nothing but my horse in the open air. It's very liberating."

"Yeah," Rose sighed, and James wondered what he'd said to cause the sudden shift in her mood. "I had a nice afternoon, James."

"Me, too," he said immediately. "So, er, next Saturday, then? Shall we meet at the table where we had lunch? Say around noontime?"

"Sounds perfect," she said, and James stepped back to allow her to mount her horse. "Until then, James."

She gave him a little wave, and rode off.

oOoOo

"And where have you been?" Jackie asked when Rose turned up looking windswept and chilled that evening.

"Out for a ride," Rose replied.

"Where?" Jackie asked.

"Just out," she said. "Before too long, I won't be able to go out on my rides without a guard."

"Leave her be, Jacks," Pete said gently. "Why don't you go warm up, Rose? Supper is nearly ready."

But Rose wasn't hungry, having eaten a late lunch. She picked at her food, and it thankfully didn't draw her parents' attention, because her appetite had been finicky since the day it was revealed that she was to be married against her will.

She managed a few bites of the bread she'd dipped into the thick beef stew before she asked to be excused. She spent the remainder of the evening in her art studio, trying her hardest not to think about the man she'd met in the marketplace, but his boyish grin continued to creep into her mind's eye.

It had felt so good to be with him, even for the few hours they'd spent together that afternoon. It had felt good to not be herself, too.

He had made her forget about her troubles, if only for a little while. He had made her forget the true reason she'd gone to the market in the first place, which was to take stock of the situation she would be inheriting, and to think up an alternative—any alternative—other than betrothal.

With him, she had been able to be just Rose, an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, not destined for a life of politics and a marriage she was positive she would resent.

Despite her better judgement, she closed her eyes and imagined what her life could be if she wasn't the daughter of the Duke and Duchess. It was alarming how clearly she could see it, and unnerving at who she saw it with. James cropped up in each of the daydreams. He would court her, and woo her, and they would buy a little cottage in the mountains far away from anyone else, and they could be themselves.

An ache lodged deep in her chest as she remembered how good it felt to wrap her arm through his, and how easily they'd laughed together. He looked so beautiful when he smiled, and Rose had found herself grinning back at him. It had been so long since she'd laughed so freely, and she was desperate to go back to her carefree afternoon in the marketplace.

Her parents doted on her, and she was want for absolutely nothing, except for the one thing she couldn't have: freedom.

Her eyes burned and her vision blurred with tears of frustration for the life she would never have. She rubbed her fists into her eyes and instead reached over for her drawing pad to sketch away her foul mood.

But she couldn't think of what to draw; James's face kept interrupting her, with its warm smile and adorable freckles and gorgeous, windswept hair.

Groaning loudly, Rose gave in, and her pencil slowly starting bringing those features to life. Her hands traced the contours of his sharp face, which would soften at even a hint of a smile.

She spent hours that night immortalizing the face that had no business being on her sketchpad, but for those few glorious hours, she let herself pretend that she was an ordinary girl who might one day be engaged to James instead of the bloody Prince of Gallifrey.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose awoke early the next Saturday, eager to head back to the marketplace to meet James. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to meet him a second time. He'd appeared to have a soft spot for her—and if she was being honest, she had one for him, too—but it wasn't fair to him, because she was to be married to someone else.

She forcefully shoved aside that thought before she mounted her horse and took off for the borderlands marketplace. It was still a bit early to be headed out to meet James, but she figured she could at least wander around the market some more. She had gotten distracted in her mission to gather information on the state of the borderlands last week. Her plan for the day was to visit as many stalls as she could, even if she had to forcibly drag James around with her.

An hour later, she tied up her horse along the outer posts and began making her way into the market. She mindlessly wandered around the market, taking stock of what sort of stalls there were. This market was much bigger than the one on the outskirts of her parents' manor, and she delighted in exploring everything that was being sold.

She had to remind herself many times that James wasn't due to meet her until noontime, and that she didn't need to stay close to their rendezvous location. She still had plenty of time to scope out more stalls until James—

"Rose!"

Rose turned on her heel at the sound of his voice, and she was almost face to face with his wide, beaming smile. His hair was disheveled, probably from his ride out, and his cheeks and nose were pink from the cold.

"You're early!" he said cheerfully. Then he winked at her and said, "Excited to see me?"

Rose pursed her lips around a smirk. "Well, seeing as you're here early too, I could say the same thing about you, good sir."

His cheeks stained a darker red, and he cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes, well," he said, and he glanced around them for a moment. "Care to walk around a bit?"

Rose nodded and linked her arm through his, holding it much closer to her chest than was appropriate. It was colder that afternoon than the previous Saturday, and she kept ducking her face into his arm to stay warm. When she realized what she was doing, she sprang away from him, and her embarrassment was enough to keep her face warm for another couple of minutes.

She tried not to pay attention to how good he smelled every time she rested her head against his shoulder, and she tried not to think about how in just a few short months, her arm would be linked like this with another man.

They grabbed their food to go that afternoon, as it was far too cold to stay seated to eat. James seemed to want to visit every single stall in the marketplace, and Rose was grateful, because it gave her the opportunity to observe the entire marketplace.

James seemed to want to talk to everyone, and Rose admired how easily he was able to start up a conversation with anyone about anything. He was one of the smartest blokes she had ever met, and that was saying something, since she had been eavesdropping on her parents' private councils for years. It made her slightly self-conscious when she couldn't keep up with some of his rapid-fire conversations, but then he admitted to her that he admired her way with people.

"Pardon me?" she asked, wondering if she'd misheard him.

"You're really good with people," James repeated. "The way you can talk with them about the little things. People just open up around you, and you put them at ease. They'd tell you anything."

Rose snorted. "You're not half bad at making conversation, either. Well, when you're not insulting them, that is."

James's cheeks flushed adorably red as he smiled sheepishly.

"But see, that's what I mean!" he exclaimed. "My gob works faster than my brain and I always find myself accidentally saying something I shouldn't. It drives my mum and dad bonkers!"

"You live with your parents?" Rose asked curiously, picking up on the present tense. Most men his age were out on their own, working. Or starting a family. But Rose was fairly confident that James didn't have any sort of significant other, what with the way he was fumbling his way through an attempted courtship.

And that thought made Rose stop short. This was wrong. This was all wrong. She shouldn't be encouraging his affections, no matter how much she wanted them. And, oh, she really did. But they shouldn't be doing this. It would only lead to a broken heart for both of them.

"Rose?"

She blinked up at him and realized she hadn't been paying attention.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "You were saying?"

"Oh, nothing important," he said breezily. "My mum and dad work for the King and Queen, and so do I, and we're given our own quarters together within the kingdom, is all."

"Where do you work in the kingdom?" Rose asked curiously, wondering if she could gather information about the Prince of Gallifrey.

James ducked his head and his cheeks were redder than they'd been before as he stumbled for words. He eventually stuttered, "I-I work in the castle library."

"Oh, so then you must have met the Prince of Gallifrey at some point," Rose asked, hoping her tone sounded nonchalant. As an afterthought, to make sure her interests didn't seem to narrow, she added, "And the King and Queen?"

James bit his lip around a smile, and Rose wondered what was so funny.

"A time or two, yeah," he said evasively. "The prince enjoys spending time in the library."

"What's he like?" Rose asked.

James's eyes sparkled even as he scoffed and said, "Bit of a twat. Arrogant. Sort of useless, as far as princes go."

Rose's heart fell. James liked everyone, it seemed, but if even he didn't like the Prince of Gallifrey, what chance did she possibly have when she already despised an arranged marriage to him?

Before James could catch on to her shift in mood, Rose forced a laugh that sounded a little hollow to her ears then said, "So, working in the library, eh? No wonder you know everything."

"Well," he said, puffing his chest out a little. "I am quite impressive, aren't I?"

"You wish," she laughed, bumping her hip against his.

James drew in a sharp breath, and Rose cringed when she realized what she had done. But before she could apologize, he smiled softly at her and tucked her arm closer to his side and they continued to walk on, leaving their conversation behind them.

They stayed out until it was nearly dusk, and James again walked her to her horse. He held out his hand to help her onto her horse, and though she didn't need it, she took it and let him steady her as she climbed on. Before she could withdraw her hand, though, he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.

Rose's hand felt hot and tingly, and that warmth was spreading up her arm, through her chest, and low in her belly as she was filled with a yearning she'd never felt before.

James stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked adorably flustered as he said, "Have a safe ride home, Rose. Er… I was wondering… er… would you like to meet again next weekend? It would be a great honor to spend another lovely afternoon in your company."

Rose bit her lip, and despite her better judgement, she said yes.

oOoOo

 _What the hell are you thinking?!_ James wanted to scream at himself for the entirety of his ride home. What was he doing? Why the hell was he courting Rose? And there was no denying that's what he was doing. And there was no denying that she was fully accepting his advances, what with how she smiled shyly every time their hands brushed together and how she'd leaned into him all afternoon and how beautifully pleased she looked when he kissed her hand.

James groaned, frustration consuming him. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He shouldn't be showing his affections to her, and he definitely shouldn't be attempting to court her. He was getting married in three months, for God's sake! He shouldn't see Rose again. He should just send word to her in Powell and apologize for his idiocy, and he should never ever see or speak to Rose ever again. Ever.

But the thought of never seeing her smile, or hearing her laugh, or feeling her hand in his sent a fierce ache of loneliness into his stomach.

So, as selfish as it was, James met her at the market the following weekend.

Then again the next weekend.

And the one after that, too.

They soon found themselves looking forward to Saturdays, and the excitement of seeing each other again helped the rest of the week go by more quickly. As the weeks passed, they grew more familiar with the vendors of the marketplace, as well as the citizens who had homes along the border.

James was angry when he realized that, on the whole, the people on the borderlands wanted peace and didn't care who their neighbors were, and that it was only a few select citizens causing problems.

One particular Saturday, the entire marketplace was subdued and there were many stalls that were closed. After talking with a few of the vendors, they finally got the story of what had happened earlier that week: a man from Gallifrey killed all of the livestock of his Powellan neighbor, and so the neighbor had retaliated by burning the Gallifreyan's barn down. But the flames had spread faster than expected, and over a dozen homes and properties were damaged, and a little girl had died in the inferno.

"I hate people," James gritted out as he and Rose looked upon the still-smoking rubble. James's chest swelled hot with anger. He wanted to scream at the people who had started the mess that had resulted in the loss of a two-year-old's life. "I really, really hate people. I hate people."

"Me too," Rose whispered faintly. "She was just a little girl. Caught up in some stupid feud by people who should know better! People who should be there to help protect her!"

Her voice cracked, and James turned to see her eyes and nose were red and tears were quietly streaming down her face. James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged Rose in for an embrace. She stifled a sob into his neck, and James felt his eyes prickle with tears of anger and sorrow.

They stayed in the embrace for much longer than proper, both taking comfort in each other's arms, until they quietly walked away from the ashes and back into the market, hand in hand.

oOoOo

Winter gradually melted into spring, and the weather grew damp and warm as green began to spread across the kingdom and duchy.

James and Rose continued to meet each other on the weekends. Their parents thought they were just going out for a ride, and meanwhile James and Rose were still telling themselves that their Saturday adventures were simply an excuse to evaluate the situation at the borderlands.

But they both knew it was a lie. With April rapidly approaching, a quiet desperation overcame them as they tried to spend as much time as they could with each other and pretend that their impending betrothals weren't happening.

"I've brought us a picnic!" James said one Saturday morning in mid-April. He had received news the night before that he would meet the young Lady Tyler on the very last weekend of April, which left him just two more precious Saturdays to spend with his Rose.

"Oh, look at you being all domestic and cooking," Rose teased, flashing him that tongue-touched grin he loved so much.

His belly swooped at her smile, and it was getting harder and harder for him to keep his actions respectable and gentlemanly. All he wanted was to scoop Rose into his arms and chase that tongue with his own.

His ears went hot in desire and embarrassment, and he coughed to clear his head before he said, "I believe cooking is an invaluable skill for everyone, not just women."

He held out his hand for her, grinning when her fingers slotted between his. Her thumb stroked along the back of his, sending little tingles of warmth up his arm and into his chest.

With their arms swinging lightly between them, James guided Rose on a little tree-lined path they had found on their third weekend together that opened up into a small meadow. The afternoon sunshine warmed them as they sat down on the blanket James had brought, and they tucked into the meal he had made for them.

They had such a perfect afternoon, full of good food and even better conversation, and James never wanted their day to end. Rose looked so beautiful sitting there with the sun shining on her hair and a smile on her face, and James barely realized what he was doing when he leaned forward and pecked a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

He tensed and pulled away slightly to gauge her reaction, and his heart fell when he saw her tears.

"I shouldn't be doing this," she murmured, and James's lungs seized. Had he completely misread the situation, and everything that had built between them these last few months? "I… I'm meant to be married soon. This spring. I'm so sorry, James. I know I should have told you, but I just…"

She shrugged helplessly.

Meanwhile, James felt numb. Married? She was meant to be married? Since when? How long had she known? Why had she let him court her when she was already engaged?

Anger swelled up inside him that she had led him on, despite knowing she was spoken for. But as abruptly as his anger came, it left him, because wasn't he in the exact same situation?

He sighed and hung his head as shame washed through him at how far he had let their relationship progress when he had no business forging a relationship with anyone other than Lady Tyler.

"Yeah," he croaked out, rubbing his hands across his face. "I, erm, I actually am, too."

"You've been courting me even though you're engaged?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Oi! You're engaged, too!" James snapped, unbelieving that she was chastising him when she'd done the same thing.

"You made the first move," she challenged.

"You didn't seem to mind it," he said coolly.

They glared at each other for a moment, then the fight seemed to go out of them at once.

"It's an arranged marriage," James admitted. "I'm… my parents had been hinting to me for years that I ought to be getting married soon, or else they'd step in. Well, they finally made good on their threat."

Rose's face pinched in sympathy.

"Yeah, me too," she sighed wistfully. "My parents want me to marry for political gain. They don't care about what I want at all, and it makes me so angry."

James reached out and took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "If only I'd met you just a little sooner…"

Rose nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. Her proximity and the smell of her hair made his entire body thrum with heat, and rather than put a respectable distance between the two of them, he leaned closer to her touch and picked up her hand to cradle it in his.

"What if we just ran away together?" she murmured. "Just… up and go, without a trace. We could start over. No pressure from our parents. No awaiting spouses. Nothing but us."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," James mused through the lump of yearning in his throat. In just two weeks' time, he would officially meet his future wife and have to leave Rose behind to perform his civic duty as the crown prince. "But you… you've got that position coming up with the Duke and Duchess. It's a great opportunity for you."

Rose's breath hitched, and she squeezed his fingers tightly.

"S'what my mum and dad said too," she whispered. "But I don't know, James. I'm sick of people controlling my life. I just want to have my own autonomy and make my own decisions and marry the man I love."

James's breath caught in his throat.

"Do… do you mean it?" he rasped.

Rose looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and nodded. "I love you, James. I shouldn't, but I do. God, I do!"

Emotions were swelling through James faster than he could process them. He was overjoyed to hear those words from Rose, but he was angry that they couldn't act on them, and he was frustrated that he had let himself and Rose get so attached, and he was heartbroken that he had finally fallen in love with a woman he couldn't have.

"I love you, too," he choked out. "I love you, Rose."

Her face crumpled and she threw her arms around his neck as her tears dampened his skin. He hugged her fiercely, willing time to stop so he and Rose could stay like this forever.

But then Rose lifted her head away from his shoulder, and instead pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He sucked in a sharp breath of surprise, but then his hands moved on their own accord to rest against her back to hold her closer.

He angled his head to deepen the kiss, and he could hardly muffle his moan in time as pleasure bubbled deep inside him at the pressure of her lips on his. They were soft and warm and so kissable, and just so bloody perfect, even though they tasted salty from her tears.

When her nails scratched through the hairs on the back of his neck, he couldn't swallow his sounds of pleasure in time, and he moaned against her mouth. He knew he should be embarrassed about his actions and his lack of control, but he couldn't bring himself to care, not when Rose was kissing him so passionately and making her own sounds of appreciation. When he sucked her bottom lip between his own, she sighed and moved until she was completely in his lap.

He whimpered at the feel of her warm weight in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer, feeling a desperate ache consume him and leave him oblivious to anything but the feel of Rose against him and the desire to hold her even closer. He felt too hot even though he was shivering and there was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable pressure building deep inside him.

"Wait, Rose," he whispered, finally realizing how far gone he was becoming. Stealing forbidden kisses was one thing; making love together was quite another, and James knew that was the trajectory they were on if he let them continue.

She seemed to realize how far they'd let their kiss progress, and she scrambled out of his lap, her cheeks bright red.

"S-sorry," she said, biting into her kiss-swollen bottom lip.

James nodded and breathed deeply as he tried to clear his foggy head.

"I should go," she whispered, and James's chest ached even though he knew that was for the best.

"Are you sure we can't just run away together?" he joked weakly, feeling as though his entire world was crumbling down around him.

"You don't know how badly I wish we could," Rose said wistfully. "But I have responsibilities. I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

James nodded; he wished he could tell her everything, too.

"I suppose this is goodbye?" he asked quietly, a foul taste rising in his mouth.

"Yeah," she answered. "I will never forget my time with you, James. Not ever. These have been the best few months of my life."

"Mine, too," he admitted.

He watched with a breaking heart as Rose stood up from their blanket. She stepped up to him, and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead, then his cheeks, then finally his lips.

"I'll love you always," she whispered. "Always, my James."

Then she turned on her heel, and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose paced the length of the dining hall as her parents met with the King, Queen, and Prince of Gallifrey. Her stomach felt full of butterflies—icy butterflies that seemed intent on skewering her insides—and she felt like she could be sick.

She spotted a book splayed haphazardly across the table, and the title was familiar: it was the same book James had told her he had begun reading.

 _James_. Rose's eyes burned when his freckled, boyish face popped into her mind's eye, stealing her breath away. Her chest ached when she remembered the sound of his laugh and the way his eyes sparkled when he teased her and how his freckles stood out whenever he blushed. And the utter heartbreak on his face on their last afternoon was still fresh in her mind, as was that perfectly beautiful kiss they had shared.

The feel of his hands against her hips… The taste of his lips against hers… The sounds he made as they continued kissing. The memories sent a bolt of heat through her, but they also caused an avalanche of dread to fall into her stomach. Soon, she would meet the Prince of Gallifrey, and then his hands would be the ones touching her, his lips would be the ones kissing her, his voice would be the one saying her name…

She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. Her parents would be furious and mortified, but she just couldn't marry the Prince of Gallifrey, not when she was so hopelessly and completely in love with James.

Speaking of James…

"Pardon me," Rose said, approaching the servant who had been asked to wait with her. "Could you direct me to the castle library?"

"The library?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've heard wonderful things about it," Rose lied. "I would like to see it for myself. I'll just be a minute."

The servant nodded, and he gave her directions to the library. As Rose navigated the corridors, she prayed for James to be there. And she prayed that he would want to break off his own engagement to be with her.

She should have known better, considering it was a Friday evening and the King and Queen were hosting her and her parents for the weekend, but Rose was still disappointed when she walked into an empty room.

She could immediately understand why James loved working there, though. It was gorgeous, with the stained-glass windows creating an ethereal ambience as it glowed with the light from the setting sun. And there were so many books. More books than Rose had ever seen in one room. They were all lined on dark wood shelves, and she knew there had to be some organization system, but for the life of her, Rose couldn't figure it out.

 _You can ask James later_ , she told herself firmly as she wandered to the lone desk in the middle of the room.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw his desk. It was piled with books, of course, but scattered among the books were the various trinkets she had bought him from the market over the last three months. Tears burned in her eyes as she frantically looked for a piece of paper to write him a note, telling him she couldn't go through with her own betrothal and that she wanted to marry him, but before she could find anything, the door opened. She stood up straight, ready to apologize to whoever had found her, but she found herself looking at the Prince of Gallifrey.

oOoOo

"The Duke and Duchess will be arriving any moment," James's mother said as she fiddled with his hair to make it lay flat. "They will meet with us first, and then you will meet with them. Then you will meet their daughter when we all convene for dinner."

James clenched his jaw against the snide comment on his tongue; his mother had been reminding him of their schedule for the last two weeks, and he had it completely memorized. But he had already pushed his parents' patience these last two weeks—he had needed an outlet for his anger and someone to blame for his broken, bleeding heart, and his parents had been an available target.

He had been moody all day, wanting to be left alone to brood, but of course he had been fretted over since breakfast, with everyone working hard to make him look his best for his introduction to his future wife.

The words burned on his tongue, and he never wanted to hear the words "his wife" in relation to him unless they happened to refer to Rose. But of course, that was impossible.

And so he quietly simmered in his anger, hurt, and resentment as he was given a fresh haircut and a new outfit for the occasion.

A servant entered his room and announced that the Tylers' carriage had arrived. A pit formed in James's stomach, and he felt shaky and numb as he stepped away from his mother and to the window. He glanced down at the front lawn and saw that a carriage was indeed approaching.

James let out a shuddering breath and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"James!"

He cringed, realizing he'd accidentally messed up his mother's work on his hair.

"Oh, just leave him," his father sighed. "He'll just keep mussing it."

His mother harrumphed, then turned to walk out of the room. Before she completely left, she turned back around to glare at James.

"You _will_ be courteous and respectful to the Duke and Duchess of Powell, and to their daughter," she warned, pointing a finger at him.

"Yes, Your Majesty," James snarked, bowing theatrically to her.

His mother threw up her hands then stalked out of the room.

"James," his father chided.

James scowled at his father, but instead of angry, his father looked… sorrowful?

"We really are sorry about this," his father said gently. "But you're not the first person to have an arranged marriage, you know. I was matched against my will to your mother."

James blinked. "You were?" At his father's nod, he said, "But you both look so happy together."

"We learned to love each other," his father said with a shrug, before he turned to walk out of James's room.

"Dad," James said softly as his father was at the door. His father stopped and turned back around to face him. "If Lady Tyler and I can come to some sort of agreement… If we can think of a way to stop the fighting… If we still agree to work together… Could this marriage be called off?"

His father's brow furrowed, and James looked away; his trembling voice had already given away too much, but the agony that was surely projected on his face would raise more suspicion.

"James, the borderlands are becoming more unstable," his father sighed. "You remember the fire that broke out three weeks ago?"

James closed his eyes and swallowed, vividly remembering the rubble and ash and the cries of the family of the little girl who had died.

"We need your help and cooperation, James," his father said. "We need a united front. If the people realize you don't want to help them, what might that feel like to them?"

"It's not that I don't want to help," James argued. "Just… not like this."

His father's face pinched in apologetic sympathy.

"We will call you to the study in a few minutes," his father said, then he turned away and closed the door to James's room.

James groaned in frustration and helplessness, and he once again raked his hand through his hair. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't. His parents would be furious and mortified, but he just couldn't marry Lady Tyler, not when he was so hopelessly and completely in love with Rose.

His heart was beating too hard and too fast as he paced around his sanctuary. He then turned and stared out the window and to the mountains beyond, where he and Rose had spent so many beautiful afternoons together in the marketplace. He could see her in his mind's eye, her cheeks pink from the cold and her eyes dancing with laughter. He could still feel the way her lips and body had pressed against his during their last afternoon together.

A dull ache seared through his chest, as it always did when he thought about that stolen kiss. They should have run away together, like they had joked about. They could have run away to the sea and sailed off together into the sunset, and into foreign lands where they would be completely unknown and free, and more importantly, together.

Well, he wasn't going to joke about it this time. No, he was going to find Rose, and he was going to ask her to run away with him. They could go anywhere. Get a fresh start. They could just be James and Rose, two people totally in love with each other, and they could settle down in a little house, just the two of them. Maybe more, eventually. James's stomach clenched as he could perfectly see him and Rose in a little cottage with their children toddling at their feet…

He quickly dismissed that thought. He was getting far too ahead of himself. First he had to find Rose if any of his dreams had a chance at happening, then, and only then, could he allow himself to think about the future.

With his resolve strengthened, James wrenched open his bedroom door and crept through the castle, hoping to find his intended fiancée and put an end to this ridiculous plan.

Once he called off their betrothal, he could work on tracking down Rose and asking for her hand, and hoping she would be able to call off her own betrothal. She'd said her parents wanted her to marry for political gain… James chuckled to himself. Surely whomever she was betrothed to couldn't possibly be more influential than him, the Prince of Gallifrey.

He immediately headed for the dining hall, where he was fairly confident his parents had left Lady Tyler to wait. But it was empty when he arrived. Well, empty except for the butler.

"If you're looking for Lady Tyler," he said when James barged into the room, "she went off to see the library."

"The library?" James asked. Then he shook his head and said, "Never mind. Do not tell anyone where we are."

"But, but sir!" the butler spluttered, and James knew the impropriety of what he had just said.

"That is an order," he said through gritted teeth, even as he cringed inside. He had never liked ordering the household staff around.

The butler blinked at him for a moment, before nodding and bowing deeply. James turned on his heel and headed straight for the library. He paused outside the closed door and took in a deep breath, trying to remember everything he wanted to say to Lady Tyler to make it clear to her that there was absolutely no chance they would be married.

Knowing that he didn't have long before someone came looking for him and Lady Tyler, he wrenched open the door despite not really knowing what to say. He stepped inside and saw a young woman in a burgundy dress with her back to him. Good. That was good. At least he wouldn't have to look at her face and see her anger and hurt as he called off their engagement.

 _Coward_ , he chastised, but it was true.

James took a deep breath then tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, focusing on the intricate gold inlays as he began to speak.

"Look, Lady Tyler, I can't go through with this," he said in a rush. He heard a quickly indrawn breath, and his face heated at the sound. He hated himself for upsetting her, but he was tired of putting everyone else's desires above his own—he'd been doing it all his life, and now it was time for him to get what he wanted. "I get that you're here just because you were told to be here. Well, maybe you want to be here, I don't know. And I know that you're expecting to be married to me, and I don't know if you want to be married to me, but I don't want to be married to you. Not that you aren't a lovely person. I'm sure you are, and I'm sure you'd make a fantastic wife, but not to me. I'm sorry, but I can't. I just can't marry you. I'm so sorry. We'll figure something else out. We can still work together to fix the issues at the borderlands, but I cannot marry you Lady…" James finally tore his gaze away from the gilded ceiling and his breath got stuck in his throat when he saw a beautifully familiar face smirking at him from his desk in the library. "Rose."

"Well, that's a shame," Rose drawled. "I hear you're the most sought-after bachelor in the realm. Besides, I thought you and I had something really special going on."

"Rose," he rasped again, stepping up to her carefully, as though she would vanish if he moved too quickly.

"Hello," she whispered, beaming up at him as she wiggled her fingers in a wave.

"Oh, Rose!"

They both moved at once: they closed the distance between them, and she brought her arms up around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her flush against him and held her tightly. He couldn't believe it. Rose! It was Rose! His Rose!

He buried his face into her neck, and hummed when she smelled exactly like he remembered. She was soft and warm in his arms, and the sound of her giggles sent his heart racing with happiness.

He set her on her feet and scanned his eyes frantically across her face, willing this to be real. Her face looked a little different than he was used to, and he realized she was wearing a lot more makeup than she had for her afternoons with him. He still thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

His eyes raked over her exposed collarbone, and down her chest. Realizing his gaze was lingering at her cleavage, he forced his eyes to trail along the velvety fabric down her arms, where her hands were lost in her billowy sleeves.

His eyes wandered back up her dress and to her face again. He reached up and rested a shaking hand against her cheek, cradling her face in his hands.

"Are you…?" His words got lodged in his throat as he was overwhelmed with disbelief, happiness, and love. "Are you really Lady Tyler? For real? This is real? You're actually the Duke and Duchess's daughter? _You_ are Lady Tyler?"

"Oi, are you saying I'm not good enough to be a Lady?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, no, no, no!" he said hastily, but then he saw the teasing twinkle in her eye.

She grinned at him, and he couldn't stop himself from stepping forward and taking her into his arms again.

"I've missed you so much, Rose," he admitted, trailing his fingers up and down the sleeves of her dress.

"I missed you, too, James," she said, reaching up to cradle his cheeks in her hands.

Her palms were warm and James leaned into her touch. He covered her hand with his, and turned his head to press a quick kiss to her palm, before he reached out and cupped her cheeks, too.

He caressed her cheekbone with his thumb, and delighted in the way her eyes fluttered shut and she sighed softly. The sound stirred something in his belly, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he asked, "May I… would it be okay if I… if we… may I kiss you, Rose?"

She smiled shyly and nodded. He grinned despite his pounding heart, and he leaned down and tilted her head up so he could brush his lips across hers. Her hands left his cheeks and snaked around to the back of his neck as she held him closer. Her fingers scratched at the back of his neck and up into his hair, making him shiver with pleasure and delight.

As much as he wanted to continue kissing Rose, and to deepen his kiss with her, he was aware that they were kissing in the library where anyone could walk in on them. And that was very likely, considering their parents had probably noticed they were both missing.

James regretfully eased them out of their kiss, but instead of stepping back and putting a respectable distance between them, he rested his forehead against hers.

"It's you, Rose," he whispered, slowly nuzzling his nose against hers. "It's really you."

"I know," she replied, and James shivered when her breath puffed against his lips. "I couldn't believe it when I stepped into the room. You're the Prince of Gallifrey. I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

James chuckled wryly. "If I'm not mistaken, my love, you didn't exactly tell me either."

"'My love'?!"

James jumped away from Rose at the loud screech, and he saw a middle-aged blonde rushing up to him looking murderous as his parents and a balding red-haired man trailed behind. It took him a moment to realize she was the Duchess of Powell, which also meant she was…

James's mouth went dry as he glanced down at Rose, and realized they were still standing closer than appropriate, and that they had been together in the library for at least ten minutes, completely unsupervised.

"Er, good evening, Your Grace," James said weakly, bowing lowly to hoping to ingratiate himself to the Duchess. He then spotted the Duke, Rose's father, and he bowed once more. "Er, Your Grace. Good evening, sir."

"Oh, don't you try to act all chivalrous and proper," Jackie snapped. "You called her 'my love'. I just heard you. You two have already met?!"

"Yes," James admitted.

"What?"

"When?"

James's cheeks heated at his parents' questions, but before he could reply, the Duchess of Powell turned her glare upon Rose.

"That's where you've been riding off to each weekend," she accused, pointing a finger at Rose. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to your father! I knew I should have had you followed! What, pray tell, have you been doing together, _alone_? And where? Where on Earth could you have possibly met the Prince of Gallifrey?" Jackie demanded, placing her fists on her hips.

"The marketplace," Rose answered, wringing her hands in front of her.

"The marketplace?" Jackie repeated. "The _borderlands_ marketplace? When you know how dangerous it is there?!"

"It's not dangerous, Mum," Rose sighed. "The marketplace vendors and patrons are really kind. It's just a few of the citizens that have the issues. I was completely safe. Besides, James was with me."

Jackie turned her glare upon him again, and he shrank away from it.

"And again I ask, _what_ were the two of you doing together, _alone_?"

"Oh, nothing much," James squeaked, hoping his flaming cheeks and ears weren't noticeable to anyone else. "Wandered around the marketplace. Browsed around. Shopped a bit. Sampled the food. In complete sight of the townsfolk, I assure you."

"Mum, this is my introduction day," Rose reminded, a subtle bite to her words. "Besides, I thought you approved of the Prince of Gallifrey."

"I did!" Jackie exclaimed. "When I thought he was a gentleman who would respect his betrothal to another woman and not play around with the first pretty girl he saw!"

"Rose and I have not done anything untoward," James said firmly, resolutely ignoring their stolen kiss in the meadow and the one that happened mere minutes ago. "Besides, it's not exactly as though I wanted to marry your daughter. I had the fullest intention of calling the whole thing off today."

"Oh, charming," Rose drawled.

"You know what I mean," he said, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. "I meant to call off my engagement to Lady Tyler then go and find you, and ask for your hand instead."

Tears filled Rose's eyes, and she smiled at him. James smiled back, and he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I never dreamed I would be so lucky as to marry for love," he whispered.

"Well, you both are still going to have to engage in a formal courtship," Jackie huffed, crossing her arms. But James saw that her glower had softened into something tender. "And don't you dare ever admit publicly that the two of you had been having an illicit affair for months!"

"Mum! We did not have an illicit affair!" Rose groaned, pressing her fingertips into her eyes. "I went out to the market and made a friend! If you haven't noticed, my life hasn't exactly been full of them!"

Guilt flashed across Jackie's face, and she opened her mouth to speak, but whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by James's father, who had been watching the exchange with a delighted grin growing across his face.

"Propriety of your past actions aside, I take it you are more amenable now to your betrothal?" the King asked eagerly.

James smiled down at Rose, feeling so lucky and grateful to have her by his side. He gave her fingers a squeeze and brought her hand to her lips for a kiss, and he nodded.

"Yes," he whispered. "Yes, I am."

oOoOo

James's and Rose's engagement was announced to the public the next day, when James and Rose were spotted together holding hands in the Gallifrey marketplace, sparking a wide host of rumors. News of the engagement spread quickly among the kingdom and duchy, and it was hardly a surprise when the citizens of both lands were wary of the news.

James and Rose spent the next few weeks touring the kingdom and duchy to celebrate their engagement and to try to get the citizens as excited about it as they were. While touring, they also began to introduce the idea of the two lands becoming united under James's and Rose's rule. The people were even more wary of that news, but James and Rose vowed their loyalty to every citizen, Gallifreyan and Powellan alike, and they asked for the people's loyalty in return.

Also as they toured, they began the wedding preparations. They made sure to hire at least two people for each aspect of the wedding—a professional from Powell, and one from Gallifrey—in an attempt to peacefully require the two lands to work together.

For the most part, both sides were eager to please the future King and Queen, and were honored to be selected to aid in wedding preparations. However, there were a few people who scoffed at the idea of working alongside someone from the opposite land as them.

"Fine," James said breezily, waving his hand to dismiss the Gallifreyan jeweler who refused to work with a Powellan jeweler to design the wedding rings. "We'll find someone else. Thank you for your time, sir."

Rose bit her lip and watched the man stutter his way through a protest before he agreed to work amicably with the Powellan jeweler to come up with ring designs James and Rose would adore.

"Funny how people change their tune when the future king dismisses them," James said happily as he plopped down onto the settee in the library beside Rose.

"The threat of dishonoring their family and business tends to make people more agreeable to a lot of things," Rose said, curling into his side as he grabbed the book they'd been reading together.

But before they could get comfortable, the library door opened and the butler walked into the room.

"Ah, fancy listening to a bit of light reading?" James asked, wiggling his book at the butler.

"Of course, sir," he said, before settling himself stiffly onto a seat opposite James and Rose.

James scoffed and rolled his eyes; he hadn't been allowed to be alone with Rose since the night he'd realized she was Lady Tyler. He hated the need for a chaperone, and couldn't wait for the day when he would be allowed to be alone with Rose for as long as he would like.

 _By the end of summer, we'll be married_ , he told himself, and he went giddy with delight. He couldn't wait to be married to Rose, to his best friend. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and opened the book.

Rose rested her hand on his, drawing his attention away from the words on the page.

"Have you thought about where we're going to live?" Rose asked.

"Hmm?"

"Once we're married," she said, glancing up to look him in the eye. "I don't think we should live too far in one country or another. It might show favoritism."

"Shall we live in the borderlands marketplace, then?" he asked wryly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Close, but not quite. I actually had an idea… I can show you tomorrow, if you'd like?"

"I look forward to it," he said with a smile.

oOoOo

James and Rose walked hand-in-hand through the stalls, trying to ignore the servant and the several guards that both of their parents insisted accompany them on their ride into the marketplace.

They nodded at the various vendors they'd gotten to know over the months, and grinned when they saw the vendors—and a few of the customers—all looking at them, wide-eyed. Between their emblemed cloaks and the royal guards, it was obvious who they were.

"My Prince, my Lady."

The vendor whom James and Rose always bought lunch from came to greet them with a low bow.

"Good morning, Douglas," Rose said. "How are you?"

"Very well, very well," he stammered. "Forgive me. I did not realize whom I had been serving. I hope you found the food to be satisfactory."

"There was a reason we kept coming back," James assured.

"Because of the sentimentality of it?" Rose asked innocently, flashing him a tongue-touched grin that made his heart flutter.

"Well, that was part of it," James answered, giving her hand a squeeze. "Well, it isn't quite lunchtime yet, Douglas. So until then."

James bowed to the man, and Rose curtsied, and they grinned when the old man looked too flustered to bow back.

Rose gently tugged on James's hand, guiding him in the direction of her secret idea. James frowned when he saw the path in the forest that led to the meadow where they'd had their last lunch together.

When they made it to the meadow, Rose turned to him with a wide, excited grin on her face.

"Er… I'm afraid I don't see what you're getting at, love," James admitted, turning in a slow circle to survey the meadow.

"We can build a future house here," Rose suggested as she looked away. The smile on her face was gone, and she wrung her hands out in front of her and said, "If-if you want that is. We-we don't have to. Just a thought."

"Oh, but that's brilliant!" James crowed with a grin. He spun in another circle around the meadow. A few trees would need to be cleared, but the land was definitely large enough to build a home on. His and Rose's home. The home he shared with Rose. The thought sent warmth pulsing through his body. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Nobody has been able to buy land along the borderlands for years," Rose said, looking relieved that he didn't think her idea was stupid. "So most of this is still under the rule of the kingdom and the duchy. We can start our own little town right here, in the heart of the borderlands. Encourage trade and settlements and business. Build the community into something strong and respectable. And we'd be nearly central to all parts of the realm, so it wouldn't be a hassle to venture into Gallifrey or Powell if there are issues we need to attend to."

"You, my love, are so brilliant!"

Overcome with love and pride for his future wife, James caught her lips in an enthusiastic kiss. But their lips had barely met when it was broken by a harshly-cleared throat.

James's face was slightly hot as he stepped away from Rose, and instead took her hand in his. He brought her knuckles to his lips for the only kiss he was allowed to give Rose, and he hoped she knew how proud he was of her, and how brilliant he thought she was.

Standing with Rose in that meadow, James felt happier and more hopeful than he had in months, since he had been told he was going to be forced into an arranged marriage on top of the responsibility of fixing the borderlands.

But with Rose at his side, he knew he could conquer anything. That _they_ could conquer anything.

He brought her knuckles to his lips once more before he turned to guide her back into the marketplace for their traditional lunch date.


End file.
